No one likes to receive wilting, over-refrigerated blooms! Unfortunately, we’ve heard time and time again of individuals who have ordered flowers from what looks like a reputable local florist’s site, only to find what was delivered doesn’t live up to what was promised.
While there can be many reasons why flowers are delivered in a less than fresh condition, this problem can be hugely exacerbated when you don’t know where your flowers are coming from. And one of the causes of this is flower relay companies.
What are flower relay companies?
There are relay companies in many industries. And the term essentially means businesses that operate as go-betweens from the producer of the goods and the consumer. In the case of flowers, a flower relay company acts as the go-between between the florist or flower farm who grows or sources and arranges the flowers and you, as the consumer.
Flower relay companies have websites that look almost exactly like a florist’s site. They’ll have specific arrangements on show, the prices are listed and you can order through the site for delivery. However, they don’t actually create any arrangements themselves (they won’t have any flowers at all!). Instead, they simply pull together generic offerings and when you order an arrangement they convey that order to a local florist who can fulfill it.
Downsides of flower relay companies
Unfortunately, there are a lot of downsides to going with a flower relay company as a middleman.
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Price. The relay company forwards your order to the local florist, including your payment. However, they keep a service fee. This fee can be a significant portion of the total cost, sometimes up to 35%, which could have two results.
First, you will likely end up paying more. Second, even if you don’t end up paying more, you will typically get less for your money. This is because the local florist creating the arrangement has been given a much lower payment which can impact choice of flowers, time spent on arranging and other details.
- Less impressive arrangements. Because the actual florists are given less compensation, you may see smaller arrangements with less flower variety. The florist may have less time to spend on the arrangements, or the little details that really create impact. And there will be time delay between the companies, meaning your flowers may not be as fresh. That means that your overall arrangement will likely be less show stopping for the recipient.
- No customisation. Because you aren’t personally working with a florist, you lose the personal connection and opportunity for customisation. You will end up with an arrangement, but it will likely be highly generic and not tailored to the recipient’s favourite flowers or colours, for example.
- Loss of customer service. With flower relay companies you are really just dealing with a technology service. They aren’t florists. They aren’t growers. In fact, they aren’t really even retailers. And because of that the level of customer service simply isn’t there.
- Lack of knowledge. When you order from a flower relay company you have no way of knowing who will fulfill your actual order. Do they use imported flowers or locally grown? If they grow their own flowers do they use sustainable and eco-friendly practices? You simply don’t know, and you don’t have a choice.
How to recognise a flower relay company
It’s not always easy to recognise a flower relay company when you just do a search online. In fact, they often appear above local florists and flower farms in the search results! And they may present themselves as local florists online. So, you may have to do a little bit of research.
Look for:
- Overly generic website designs
- Lack of specific details about the shop’s location
- Huge variety of arrangements, but many of them standardised and lacking any personalised touches
- Generic catalogue of photos
On the other hand, a local florist will generally have:
- A specific style that personalises their arrangements
- An actual street address or shopfront
- Facebook and/or Instagram accounts that show recent photos of actual orders they’ve done for customers
If you’re not sure the best way to find out if a florist is local or a relay company simply call and ask them!
Benefits of choosing a local florist!
At The Flower Farm, we believe that local is best! That’s because every purchase you make with a local flower grower or florist is more than just a transaction – it’s an investment in quality, community and sustainability.
Local farms offer the freshest possible blooms, delivered as close as possible from the soil to your home, ensuring that your flowers last longer and look better. You’ll also get the best customer service and accountability.
For a local florist this is their livelihood and most likely their passion. In most cases, every arrangement they create is done with care by someone trained to do just that. And when they deliver it to you, they want to ensure the flowers are at their freshest and most beautiful because it is their name on the line.